Usage of automated systems in various industrial applications is known in the state of art. For example, automated systems may be used in manufacturing, packaging, storing, and delivery.
Advent of e-commerce has put high demands on such automated systems. Handling of thousands to millions of orders per day requires careful planning and automation of processes to the extent possible.
In e-commerce, orders are received at a computing platform via the internet or other electronic means. The products or items may be stored in a warehouse where the received orders are fulfilled.
Order fulfillment in a minimum time has been an object of some of the automation in warehouses. However, state of the art systems and methods suffer from several limitations.
Some systems use a mobile drive unit which may dock with an inventory tray carrying items. Docking and undocking of inventory tray is time consuming thus reducing throughput of the system.
Some systems target completion of all orders and may wait if an item is not available. This may result in less productivity as many completed orders are delayed due to non-completion of a few orders.
The present invention overcomes the above and other limitations of the state of art automation in warehouses.